The Time Traveler
by Guyver04
Summary: To prevent a tragedy one girl will travel back in time.  Will she save the one she loves?


Disclaimer I don't own Love Hina.

I do this strictly for fun.

My first Love Hina tale, I usually write Evangelion stories.

This story has been rattling around in my brain for months now.

The Time Traveler

JAPAN 2010

Hinata Inn is a quiet place, that is as long as it residents are asleep or are somewhere else.

In his room Keitaro closed one of his many study guides and stretched. He heard a couple of cracks and pops, probably from sitting unmoving for so long. The young ronin winced in pain. Naru and Motoko had been more violent than usually lately, Keitaro wasn't even getting a chance to heal completely between assaults. What was wrong with those two anyway? One moment they were friends and everything was great. Then in a moment and over the littlest things they attacked him, more often that not sending him flying through the air.

Keitaro check his clock, it was getting late and he still had to make the rounds as Hinata Inn's manager.

He wondered what Shinobu would be making for dinner.

In the living room he found the Inn's resident drunk, Kitsune enjoying her usual bottle of booze.

She was another one, acting sweet and flirty. Although this was usually when she wanted a favor or money. Keitaro sometimes wondered if she was like this because she knew he would never take advantage of her fake advances.

"Keitaro, " said Kitsune sweetly as he descended the stairs "Naru said something is wrong with the hot springs, you may want to have a look"

"OK I'll check" said Keitaro. He paused at the door the springs. Kitsune had a bad habit of setting him up for bodily injury.

He knocked loudly "Anyone in there?" he called

Silence.

A second knock also brought no answer.

_Maybe she was telling the truth_ thought Keitaro opening the door.

It was then that Naru and Motoko surfaced from under water. Time froze for a moment as the girls started at Keitaro and he stared back.

I-it's not what it looks like" said Keitaro turning his head quickly. He slowly backed out of the hot springs

"YOU PERVERT" shouted Naru unleashing her dreaded punch

"URASHIMA PREPARE TO DIE" shouted Motoko with a swing of her sword.

The forces of the combined strike sent him flying back into the living room,. Keitaro landed hard on his back, a coppery taste filled his mouth. He tried to stand but pain tore through his body.

Keitaro had a reputation for being able to take punishment, however there was a limit to everything.

He could feel his strength slipping away.

_This was it. _Keitarothought his body had given out, he was about to die.

A bright light warmed his face but his eyes refused to open. A gentle hand touch his cheek and a beautiful voice reached his ears

"I'm here, Keitaro. Don't worry but I need you to drink this."

A warm flavorless liquid was poured down his throat, the pain began to lessen

_An angel has come to take me to Heaven_ thought Keitaro. It was the end of his suffering, however it was also the end of his dream of going to Tokyo University

Naru charged into the living room

"Where is that damned pervert?" she demanded

Kitsune was standing against the wall her eyes open wide in shock. She pointed across the room to sight strange even by Hinata Inn standards.

An unknown woman was leaning over Keitaro She was like no one Naru had ever seen. Dressed in a skin tight outfit that showed of a figure that rivaled Naru's own. Her face and hair was concealed by a helmet and visor.

The woman heard Naru and turned.

"You!" she snarled "I've been waiting a long time for this."

Naru had never heard such hatred in a person's voice.

"Naru What is going on?" asked Motoko as she entered the living room "What is this?" she demanded upon seeing the woman.

"I'm here for him" the woman said, her voice still full of hate. "You soulless bitch!"

"You're not taking him anywhere." said declared Motoko

A wicked smile flashed on the woman's face as if she had been hoping for a fight. "The try and stop me bitch"

The young samurai charged at the woman head on. The woman calmly pressed something on her left wrist. Naru could see now she was wearing some kind of strange glove or gauntlet, it looked like something Kaolla would make.

Motoko's sword came down with full strength behind it. The sword was blocked by what Naru could only describe as an energy shield.

"Not so tough against some one who isn't defenseless?" taunted the woman as she reached into a pouch on her waist. She removed what looked like a toy gun and pointed it at Motoko. Lighting shot from the gun, causing pain to rip through the young samurai's body. Motoko screamed in pain and fell to the ground twitching uncontrollably.

"Your turn" said the woman turning to Naru.

"W-w-wait" pleaded Naru raising her hands defensively

"You never gave Keitaro a change to explain. You always just attacked, regardless of the situation!" snarled the woman "I wondered, did you get off on it? Are you really some kind of sadist?"

Naru was too scared to answer. The woman pulled the trigger again. Naru screamed in pain, she dropped to the floor twitching and jerking like Motoko.

"One left" said the woman bitterly.

She turned to the fox girl Kitsune. Without a word to her enemy, she sent Kitsune screaming to the floor where she joined Naru and Motoko.

"Now to get you to safety" the woman said looking at Keitaro.

A small gasp made her turn. In the doorway was young Shinobu frozen in fear.

"Oh wow, how could I forget." the woman muttered to herself

She knelt down next to the frighten girl.

"Listen, Keitaro will be OK but he needs to go with me. I need you to go to Haruka's cafe, you will find Grandma Hina there. Tell her what happened here and tell them I will be there in one hour to explain everything."

The young girls eyes darted to her fallen friends

"Yeah, they'll be OK too eventually" said the woman bitterly

Without another word the woman pressed something on her gauntlet. A doorway of light appeared. In one smooth motion she picked up Keitaro and vanished into the doorway.

HARUKA'S CAFE.

Haruka Urashima had no clue what was going on. Earlier that day Grandma Hina had arrived with the adopted Kanako. They had been enjoying a late afternoon tea when young Shinobu had come running in, crying and hysterical. She had said some strange woman attacked the other girls and kidnapped Keitaro. She was so upset Haruka had given here a drink with a small amount of alcohol to help calm her down.

When the hour had passed a doorway of light appeared and a woman in an skin tight outfit stepped into the cafe.

"Excellent" she said looking around "Good work Shinobu."

"You!" shouted Kanako "Where is my brother!"

"Safe." replied the woman.

This didn't satisfy the enraged Kanako, she attacked the stranger. Her attack was blocked by the same energy shield that had stopped Motoko's sword.

"Sit down Kanako" said Grandam Hina softly yet sternly.

Kanako knew better than to defy her grandmother. She sat back down, glaring at the woman who had taken her brother.

"Now you must explain young lady" said Grandma Hina in the same soft and stern tone

"Yes Ma'am" said the woman with a polite bow to the old woman

She sat down and thought for a moment.

"The best way to start is like this" she said, while removing her helmet and visor.

Haruka was not a woman who is easily surprised but even she could not help but gasp.

Her face, her eyes, that blue hair...it was...

"Shinobu?" asked Haruka.

"That's right," answered the woman. "I'm Shinobu Maehara from ten years in the future."

"Can you prove this?" asked Grandma Hina.

"Of course" she answered and gestured to the young Shinobu to come over to her.

Slowly the timid girl walked to the stranger. The older woman leaned down and whispered something into the girl's ear. No one else could hear what she said but whatever it was cause the girls face to go bright red.

"But none knows about that" she squeaked

"Except you" said the stranger with a smile

"Young Shinobu," said Grandma Hina "Do you believe this person?"

The timid girl nodded furiously

"That is good enough for me" said the old woman "Now explain why you took my grandson."

A painful look appeared on the older Shinobu's face, tears began to form. "I had to" she answered 'I couldn't let it happen again."

Tears flowed freely

"Keitaro was being beaten badly by Naru and Motoko the last couple days but today would have been too much."

Shinobu forced herself not to break down completely at the memory

"Originally, today was the day Keitaro died."

The gathered woman sat in stunned silence as the time traveler tried to fight the tears.

"I hated them," she said finally "The ones who caused his death, but my hate was nothing compared to your rage" she nodded to Grandma Hina.

"Kaolla and I were the only ones spared your rage. We stayed friends for all these years. Then she got engaged to a man from the United States, at least I think that's where he is from. As the wedding approached Kaolla became depressed, she wanted Keitaro to play a role in the ceremony. Fortunately her fiance is as brilliant as she is, and working together they created the Time Gauntlet." the older Shinobu held up her left wrist

"Yeah that sounds like something Kaolla would make' muttered Haruka.

"In tens years there is a way safe Keitaro's life, so I had to come back to the day he was hurt and bring him to the future." explained Shinobu

"Now that you have saved him, will you bring him back here?" asked Grandma Hina

Tears began to fall from Shinobu again "I can't" she cried "The process used to save him requires monitoring and occasional maintenance. If I brought him back here, Keitaro would still die in a year or so."

"So" said Grandma Hina quietly "I have lost my grandson."

Haruka shivered, she could hear the rage under those calm words.

"NO!" shouted Kanako "I want my bother!"

"I know you do" said Shinobu "That's why I have an offer for you."

Shinobu remember the aftermath of Keitaro's death. Kanako was the only one as torn up as she was. They became close and helped each other deal with the pain. Some would say that "help" was very inappropriate. In the end the loss of the one they both loved had been too much, Kanako had committed suicide just over a year after Keitaro's death. This was the other reason Shinobu had jumped at the chance to come back in time. She wanted to save Kanako.

"What kind of offer?" asked Kanako

"I can do one more time jump before I have to return to my own time." explained Shinobu

"I will go ahead one year. In that year, if you get all your affairs in order, if I will take you with me to where Keitaro is"

The older Shinobu stood to leave.

"Grandma Hina, please wait till after my next visit to punish those girls" said to the old woman with a nod to Hinata Inn "If they know what happened, they would try to come with me too, and the whole cycle would start all over again."

Grandma Hina nodded in agreement. A year's wait would not lessen her rage at those girls, they would suffer for what they have done to Keitaro.

"Shinobu" called the older girl "I need you here too next time and not a word about what happened to anyone not even Kaolla."

The timid girl gave a same squeak of agreement.

The time doorway opened "Until then" waved older Shinobu

"Wait!" said Kanako as she walked over to the visitor "Why are you doing this?"

The time traveler's voice dropped to a whisper

"Because you love Keitaro as much as I do. You want to make him happy as much as I do.

So, and this is the part I want you to think about carefully, together we can make him the happiest man on earth. If you are willing to share."

With out another word she stepped into the door and vanished.

JAPAN 2011

For the the time traveler only a few seconds past but as she stepped back into the cafe the change was obvious.

Kanako was standing with a large trunk next to her. The younger Shinobu waved with excitement.

"Are you ready?" older Shinobu asked Kanako

"Yes, let's go to my brother" said Kanako firmly.

"Just one more thing" said the time traveler 'Shinobu, come here please"

The young girl hurried to her older self. The older girl handed the younger one a large packet

"These are letters, they will help you get to my role in ten years. You will be the one to save Keitaro some day. Read the letter on the date printed on the envelope and not a day before. Do not share the information with anyone unless it says to." explained older Shinobu

Young Shinobu took the packet eagerly. She greatly missed Keitaro and now in her hands, were instructions on having him almost all to herself.

"Oh yeah, last tip" said the time traveler. She whispered into the young girl's ear. Her face turned bright red

"But I can't" squeaked the young girl

"Trust me it'll make things easier and more fun for both you and Keitaro" said older Shinobu glancing at Kanako.

"Take care of my grandson" said Grandma Hina

"Of course" said older Shinobu

She activated her gauntlet, opening the time door

"Let's go." said Shinobu to Kanako

The two girls stepped into the time door and vanished.

"Now what?" asked Haruka

"Now" answered Grandma Hina her eyes turned towards Hinata Inn "I make those girls pay."

JAPAN 2020

Keitaro stirred, he was lying on something soft. All of his pain had vanished. Was this Heaven?

When he finally did open his eyes, he would find a whole new world and two very dedicated young woman waiting for him.

The End

Some people have asked why did I end it here. The simple answer is I don't know where to go with the story. The idea of a time traveling Shinobu was kicking around in my head for months till I wrote this down. As for the future Keitaro wakes up in... no idea.

. If any has any ideas and would like to continue the story themselves, let me know


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